East meets West with Harry Manx

Singer Harry Manx will perform his own blend of Indian music and blues at 7 p.m. Sunday at Duncan Hall, 619 Ferry St.

SUNDAY: Traditional Indian music and classic blues coming together - it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

But for blues singer Harry Manx, it's his style.

Manx got his start on the blues scene in the 1970s. Then, he worked in blues clubs, listening to the greats. After a show, he would go home and see if he could do a bit of it himself. But instead of following that musical path, Manx ended up living in India for about 12 years. While he was there, he started playing a 20-stringed instrument called a monhan veena, which is like a sitar/guitar hybrid, he said. He learned from the inventor of the instrument, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

Since then, he's been bringing the two styles together, working to find common ground in East and West. He listens to the scales of the western music, and when similar notes come up, he blends them with notes of Indian ragas.

Manx will bring that sound to Lafayette at 7 p.m. Sunday at Duncan Hall, 619 Ferry St. He was an opener for a Friends of Bob show in 2009, president Richard Fudge said, and the audience loved him so much they decided to bring him back.

Manx said that acceptance isn't uncommon, despite the raised eyebrows at his style in the beginning.

"It's something new for people," he said. "And they tend to like it."

When: 7 p.m. Sunday

Where: Duncan Hall, 619 Ferry St.

How much: $16 in advance, $20 day of show

Also: Tickets are available at Von's Records, McGuire Music and JL Records.

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East meets West with Harry Manx

Harry Manx will bring his mix of Indian music and blues to Lafayette at 7 p.m. Sunday at Duncan Hall, 619 Ferry St.